Starmer meets Nowak family at Downing Street as murder case reshapes British political landscape
Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a private meeting with the family of Henry Nowak at Downing Street on June 4, hours after Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch met Nowak's father, mother, and stepmother separately and said they agreed with her about the 'need to bring common sense back.' Starmer criticised Elon Musk for trying to 'whip up division' in the UK, while a minister dismissed 'two-tier justice' allegations as a 'slur' on police and Robert Jenrick called it 'ludicrous' to claim Reform UK was stoking division. Reform UK received £9.3 million in Q1 2026 donations -- including £7 million from two crypto-billionaires -- as European far-right politicians from Poland, France, Spain, and Japan amplified footage of Nowak's death to fuel anti-immigration rhetoric.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a private meeting with the family of Henry Nowak at Downing Street on the afternoon of June 4, No 10 confirmed. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch had met Nowak's father, mother, and stepmother separately earlier in the morning; she said afterwards that they agreed with her about the 'need to bring common sense back.' The back-to-back meetings with both party leaders reflect how deeply the case has penetrated Westminster politics.
Starmer criticised Elon Musk for trying to 'whip up division' in the United Kingdom in the wake of the murder. A government minister dismissed the 'two-tier justice' claim circulating on social media and among right-wing commentators as a 'slur' on the police. Robert Jenrick, the Conservative former home secretary, called it 'ludicrous' to accuse Reform UK of stoking division over the case. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has previously called for a response of 'pure cold rage' to the murder -- a statement Starmer had condemned in the days prior -- and the party received £9.3 million in Q1 2026 political donations, including £7 million from two crypto-billionaires.
European far-right politicians amplified the case internationally. Polish far-right figures claimed the murder symbolised 'Britain's descent into the depths of the earth.' Populists from France, Spain, and Japan circulated footage of Nowak's final moments to feed anti-immigration narratives, The Guardian reported.
The political fallout spread beyond the immediate case. The Times reported that Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves had met twice in one week to discuss the delayed defence investment plan, which is now under consideration for reduction from £18 billion to £15 billion over four years amid concerns about affordability and the economic impact of the Iran war; No 10 declined to confirm the figure. The plan is due to be published before the NATO summit in Ankara in July.